SANTACO “sad” about route cancellations

The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) in the Western Cape has expressed measured regret over the provincial government’s decision to suspend several minibus taxi routes for 30 days, starting September 17, 2025.

In a statement on September 16, the organisation acknowledged the “sadness and understanding” prompted by the closures, citing their severe impact on operators’ livelihoods and commuters’ mobility. SANTACO apologised to affected passengers and urged constructive dialogue to restore stability, reflecting the industry’s pivotal yet troubled role in South Africa’s transport ecosystem.

The Western Cape government, invoking Section 91 of the National Land Transport Act of 2009, ordered the closures in response to escalating violence linked to rivalries between taxi associations, notably the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CODETA – ironically represented by the symbol of a dove) and the Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association (CATA). The measure, announced by Mobility MEC Isaac Sileku on September 12, targets routes in the Mfuleni-Khayelitsha-Nomzamo-Lwandle-Somerset West corridor, where recent shootings, including a driver’s death in Nyanga, have heightened public safety concerns.

Authorities have deployed a Joint Operations Centre, combining police, municipal law enforcement, and provincial traffic units, to enforce the ban, with violators facing fines of up to R5,000 or six months’ imprisonment.South Africa’s minibus taxi sector, which employs hundreds of thousands and serves millions daily, is a linchpin of public transport, particularly for low-income communities.

Yet it is beset by chronic disputes over routes, permits, and regulatory compliance. The Western Cape, a hotspot for such tensions, has seen intermittent violence, with over a dozen deaths reported in early September 2025. The closures, potentially extendable beyond October 16, aim to quell these conflicts but risk exacerbating economic strain for operators and disrupting commutes for thousands. Golden Arrow Bus Services and Metrorail have increased capacity, but gaps in service provision persist, particularly in informal settlements.

The decision follows a long pattern of violence and lawlessness from taxi operators, including burning trains, sometimes with passengers inside, assassinating busdrivers, and blockading traffic. In July-August 2023, the Western Cape’s minibus taxi industry, led by SANTACO, launched an eight-day “strike”, blockading the city centre and paralysing Cape Town’s transport network. Triggered by a new City of Cape Town by-law tightening traffic regulations, operators protested vehicle impoundments for violations like unroadworthy conditions. The strike turned violent, with four deaths, dozens of impounded taxis, and attacks on buses and commuters. It disrupted education, with over 700 000 pupils prevented from attending school at its peak. JP Smith, the city’s safety chief, defended enforcement, unlike cities elsewhere, where taxis had been afforded effective impunity. The R100 billion sector still largely does not pay taxes.

The City’s recent invocation of emergency powers underscores the intractability of the taxi industry’s challenges, where economic necessity collides with regulatory and territorial conflicts. As talks continue, the sector’s ability to balance profitability with public safety remains in question.